This invention relates to brace elements for use in building and home construction, and more particularly concerns a spacing brace which can be quickly and easily applied to connect a series of parallel wooden structural members in a highly economical fashion.
In the construction of buildings, wooden structural members known as studs, joists, trusses and rafters are generally utilized wherein a number of such members are equidistantly disposed in a parallel array. The distance between said members is generally determined by measuring with a ruler and/or utilizing wooden strips of 1.times.2-inch cross section which are removably nailed into the structural members for temporary securement. Repeated measurements can be time-consuming and susceptible to random errors. Furthermore, after the structural members are fixed in their desired positions, any temporary wooden strips and their holding nails must be removed to permit the roof, wall or floor sheeting to be installed. Not only is such removal time-consuming, but the wooden strips are frequently discarded as scrap, resulting in the waste of expensive lumber and presenting a disposal problem.
It is also well known to nail bracing elements called ties between adjacent beams once the parallel array is formed in order to strengthen the array. In particular, such procedure improves lateral stability and distributes loading forces throughout the assembly. Although effective, such procedure is costly in terms of labor and materials.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide apparatus to efficiently and economically position and engage wooden structural members such as trusses, joists, studs and rafters in an equidistantly spaced parallel array of a number of said structural members.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide spacing apparatus as in the foregoing object wherein the spacer remains permanently attached to the structural member in a manner to increase the strength of interengagement of said array of structural members.
lt is another object of this invention to provide spacing apparatus of the aforesaid nature adapted to serve as a bracing member to stabilize the array of structural members during construction and thereafter.
It is a still further object of the instant invention to provide an improved spacing apparatus which is easily utilized and amenable to economical manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.